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| Rode the Swiss, French, Austrian and Italian Alps |
Yesterday after a brief flurry of texts and phone calls, we picked up Cindy at the local bus lines in C'Town. A whirlwind opportunity had presented itself and she showed up super excited fresh (!?!) from an overnight red eye flight and 4 hour time lag. Her home is in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.
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| Slovenia, small village, BIG truck two way street! |
Cindy is the youngest of my three nieces, rides a bike and recently began the journey of discovery that I believe, most of us go thru several times in our lives. Newly single, attractive, fit and open to new adventures, she decided to fly across the country and spend a few days with Uncle Frank at our new digs on the Island.
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| Into Italia |
Last time Cindy was here, it was for a day when her family was on its way to Europe and the 'old country'. She was 12.
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| Dolomites |
It was right after attending her marriage in 1991, I found out that mine had ended. I lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since then for all of us and I learned at that time that a whole new world of opportunity was open to me as she is finding now.
I won't fill you in on all the details but I can say that the first few hours on the Island were quite exciting! Lol...
In the next few days we are going to do some local riding, take in a few
sights of importance, after all Canada as a Nation was effectively born
here in 1864, and pack as much visit time in as is humanly possible
without sleep! Then it will be back on a jet and work in Fort Mac.
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| South of France |
As we were driving thru Summerside on a very pleasant fall evening last, I saw a guy washing his Sportster.
Window rolled down I asked him, tongue in cheek of course,
"Hey... nice bike, what kind of a Yamaha is that?"
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| Croatian autopista |
He was perplexed, and then answered,
"It's not a Yamaha, it's a Sportster."
Parked on the street I added;
"2003?" Yes he said.
"1200?" "No... 883." He then added a phrase I commonly hear from Harley guys;
"Just a girls bike!"
Having been an avid promoter of women riding long before it became fashionable (I had co-op ads declined because they featured women prominently riding motorcycles in riding gear, with the explanation that w
omen were less then 2% of the riding population back in the mid 80's, we know what's happened since!*)
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| Nearing the summit to the Sustenpass |
I pointed out to him that 883's as far as I was concerned, were "real motorcycles" just like any other!
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| 30 foot cuts on Grimsell mid June |
As we were driving away Cindy mentioned to me that she was amazed at how much I knew about motorcycles! I guess in 45 years riding, racing and owning/working at bike shops, and living and breathing bikes... one picks up a bunch of
stuff. Just the other day I was looking at a T 500 a local riding friend had recently purchased. I pointed out to him that the bike could very easily be transformed back to its original color and shape and would make a very fine correct vintage bike. My explanation to him that it was complete except for a front fender brace, the orange/red paint scheme and even the fuel valve operation (vacuum, most people have no idea how prime works...) surprised him. He is very knowledgeable especially with Suzuki product (there are two modern
'zukes' in the garage)
Anyway, Cindy says I know a lot about bikes and I do.... but kinda useless trivia, I mean you can't earn any money with it and all that info in my brain is just taking up space. There are countless forums online these days discussing bikes of every brand, type and vintage. Who really needs anything from Dr.N.
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| Grenoble, that a way! |
I got to thinking as we toured around picking up and dropping off stuff, how involved I had become with motorcycles during my life, have devoted so much of it to teaching people, supplying things and living it that well, it has been much more than simply passion, more than devotion, probably even two levels above obsession and how it has very much shaped and guided even my everyday decisions. Motorcycling has expanded my horizons in more ways that simply geographically, although it has certainly done that. It's taken me literally to places I could only have dreamed about.
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| Truly a sight in more ways than 1. |
I was reading an article a few days ago online,
"Writer rides the Alps" it was titled. Guy testing/reviewing a BMW 1600 six; packaged tours vs DIY stuff, local accommodation in shady valleys or the tops of mountains. Road conditions coming thru Grimsell onto the Furka pass or hotels in Andermatt.
Been there done that. I didn't have the advantage of an Edelweiss tour, nor a brand new BMW, I can't afford that... I did have time and a very good used Diversion 600 though and I felt every bit as thrilled, maybe more so than had I been carving corners in snowfall climbing to the Sustenpass only to be turned back by a blocked tunnel riding the latest
Moto Guzzi Stelvio.
Motorcycling has taken me to Berlin, Porto, the Island of Elba and the congestion and chaos of Athens. It's taken me to the wilds of Baja and L.A. Places like Tokyo and Kyoto, the Senator highway and Cabot Trail. I've been lost on dirt tracks in the Sierra Giganta, climbed past 20 foot snowdrifts on the 11000 foot high Bear Tooth in Wyoming/Montana, had the throttle pinned on Autobahns, Autostradas and Autopistas.
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| Pyrenees crossing from France to Spain via Andorra. |
I raced on pavement, MX tracks and ice ovals. I met hundreds of people that have become friends and in many cases enthusiasts, people like Cindy, Chris, Kazue, Dave and Tom. I've bonded with my then 16 year old daughter Lisa on a long ride from Calgary to Los Angeles in 2000.
More than that, motorcycling, from the embryo stage, for me has represented freedom to a Hungarian refugee kid in a way that simply living it, would have not reached that lofty pinnacle. In many cases, like Furkapass, the Highwood and Bear Tooth... motorcycling has allowed me to dream, to do the 'impossible' and to touch the sky.
Sound corny? I don't care. It's the way I see it.
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| Mountain top abbey Loire valley France |
I know I say this every day to someone... like Clive Cussler at the tail
end of every Sea Hunter episode, get off the couch, and get the heck
out there and create those dreams and memories and live those
experiences. This is your chance, your only chance.
As the old saying went...
"why wait for spring, do it now!"
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| Doesn't get much better than this, sunset on Elba! |
*1/3 of all new registrants today are women riders.
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